Chapter Eighteen: This Young Human is Quite Interesting!

"Be careful!" the bearded man shouted, his broadsword swirling with gathering spiritual energy. Under the resonance of the great Dao of heaven and earth cultivated by men of his kind, the blade's aura instantly stretched to ten feet long, crashing down toward Mo Bufan with an earth-shaking force.

This strike was not to be underestimated; the bearded man had unleashed the peak power of the second tier of the Void Refining Realm. Against Mo Bufan, who was only at the first tier, such an attack would surely leave him dead or gravely injured.

As the blade swept forth, Lu Feng saw that Mo Bufan hadn't even moved before being engulfed by the blade's aura. Lu Feng couldn't help but sigh with regret, "I didn't expect him to be this weak, unable even to dodge. Don't blame me for being ruthless—your arrogance forced my hand. Besides, I truly don't want to waste more time on you..."

"Is that so? I don't want to waste any more time either. But you still haven't given it your all," came Mo Bufan's calm voice as the blade's light dissipated and the dust settled. "I told you, I'm very strong."

As the dust cleared, Mo Bufan's figure appeared, standing nonchalantly, sword in hand, his expression faintly exasperated.

"Ah!" Lu Feng and the others gasped in unison.

Lu Feng swallowed hard. He hadn't even sensed Mo Bufan making a move, yet the man had easily dispersed his blade aura.

"Fine, then let me see just how deep your reserves go!" Lu Feng bellowed, not daring to hesitate further. His broadsword flashed again, gathering even more formidable spiritual power. This time, the blade's aura stretched to twenty feet as he swung, sending a tide of sword light crashing down on Mo Bufan.

Mo Bufan sighed, "Is this truly the extent of your strength?"

With those words, he brandished his longsword. The "Ziwei Sword Technique" unfurled in an instant, unleashing a sword aura about three feet long, faintly inscribed with the runes of heaven and earth, meeting the massive blade head-on.

A deafening explosion erupted as the sword aura tore through the blade's light and, undiminished, pressed toward Lu Feng.

The terrifying sword qi sent chills through the hearts of the five men before him, their faces draining of color.

Lu Feng's pupils contracted, but he dared not slacken. He brandished his broadsword rapidly, conjuring two more blade auras to meet Mo Bufan's sword light.

After two thunderous clashes, the blade's light finally dispersed the sword aura, and all fell silent.

Mo Bufan still stood where he was, his sword now sheathed. He gazed at the still-stunned Lu Feng and said, "Your spiritual energy is abundant, but impure, so your control is weak. Your techniques are powerful, but you waste too much energy on empty displays rather than the attack itself. Your attunement to the resonance of heaven and earth is limited; your moves are mere techniques, not harmonized with the Dao, which makes your blade aura easily shattered. There are serious flaws in your cultivation."

Listening to Mo Bufan and reflecting on that recent sword, Lu Feng's face turned pale. He cupped his fists and said, "Farewell!"

With that, he abandoned his companions and Mo Bufan, turned, and left without hesitation.

The other four exchanged glances, then also cupped their fists to Mo Bufan before turning to follow Lu Feng. He was the strongest among them, but couldn't withstand even a single move from the opponent; if they tried, their fate would be even worse.

Watching their departing backs, Mo Bufan sighed, turned, and walked back into the cave, sitting down in a random spot.

He hadn't asked for the male Fire Lynx's corpse from those people; he didn't see the need. Those cultivators were clearly struggling at the bottom rung, spending much just to temper themselves here. There was no need to make things harder for them.

Moreover, this was a world of fierce competition, survival of the fittest. The human race hunted Fire Lynxes just as Fire Lynxes hunted the weak for their own needs. Besides, the corpse would only rot here—better to let them take it.

The mother Fire Lynx, seeing the five men disappear, finally lowered her head and wept silently, uttering no more painful cries.

But after a brief silence, the mother Fire Lynx's belly heaved, and she let out a low, pained howl.

Mo Bufan frowned and turned to see the Fire Lynx lying on the ground, hind legs kicking desperately, amniotic fluid pooling behind her—she was about to give birth.

He swallowed hard. "Seriously?"

In his past life, he'd kept dogs and cats, and his cat had given birth to a litter of kittens. The scene before him was strikingly similar to what he'd witnessed then.

But this Fire Lynx was no housecat. As a demon beast, its fertility was weak, only giving birth once every two or three years, and only one cub at a time. The birthing process was perilous, with the mother at constant risk of death.

The problem was, Mo Bufan had no idea how to help. All he could do was watch.

After a while, there was still no sign of the cub. The mother Fire Lynx panted heavily, exhausted, and only after a long rest did she recover.

Sensing the danger, the Fire Lynx finally stood and with hopeful eyes approached Mo Bufan, softly whining and rubbing her head against his arm, much like a cat seeking comfort.

Awkwardly, Mo Bufan scratched his head, then placed his hand on the Fire Lynx's head, gently stroking her and channeling his own spiritual energy into her body.

With his help, the Fire Lynx soon calmed down and lay comfortably beside him, breathing evenly.

Since Mo Bufan had saved her, the Fire Lynx had dropped all her guard, seeking his favor not only out of fear but also in hopes of securing a way out for herself and her unborn cub.

The Abyss of the Fallen Dragon was a terrifying place. She and her mate had survived here for twenty or thirty years, birthing four litters, yet not a single cub survived. She and her mate were constantly under attack.

This place held too many forbidden zones, and demonic energy sometimes appeared. A single misstep meant death.

Only by leaving could she escape this plight. She had struggled bitterly for survival all these years. If this man would take her in—even just her cub—at least one of her family might live.

A demon beast with humanlike intelligence could think just like a person.

Mo Bufan understood the Fire Lynx's predicament, but he hadn't expected her to have so many thoughts. Right now, she reminded him of the stray cats and dogs he'd seen begging for adoption—truly pitiable.

Yet he had no intention of taking her in, especially since a demon beast wasn't the same as a stray cat.

After resting by Mo Bufan's side for about half an hour, the mother Fire Lynx began struggling in labor again. The movements in her belly grew more obvious, her moans of pain suppressed but increasingly frequent.

Mo Bufan, helpless, could only continue channeling spiritual energy into her.

At the bottom of the Abyss of the Fallen Dragon, amidst towering boulders, a dozen or so stalks of Ice Grass poked from the cracks, exuding gentle spiritual energy. A girl of seventeen or eighteen, smiling brightly, was collecting them into her storage pouch.

Beside her lay the eviscerated carcass of a massive golden-scaled python, more than twenty feet long, while a wrinkled old man busied himself skinning it.

As he worked, the old man glanced at the jubilant girl and said, "Princess, be careful with the Ice Grass—it carries a cold poison. If the fumes get into your body, you'll feel terrible for days, even if it won't kill you."

"Don't worry, old man, I know what I'm doing," the girl giggled. "But you be careful too! That python skin is for my royal father."

The old man smiled, "Don't worry." He formed a hand seal and deftly continued skinning the python.

At that moment, a group of five emerged from the forest, approaching the girl and old man. Sharing a dejected glance, they all knelt in unison. "Greetings, Your Highness, Master Shangguan."

The bearded man with the broadsword leading the group was none other than Lu Feng, who had just fought Mo Bufan.

The girl finished storing the Ice Grass, turned, and asked excitedly, "Did you catch the Fire Lynx family?"

Lu Feng bowed his head, placing the male Fire Lynx's corpse before her, a flicker of anxiety on his face. "Princess, I am incompetent. I only managed to capture the male Fire Lynx. The mother was taken by a disciple of the Celestial Profound Sect who appeared suddenly."

"What?!" The girl's face instantly frosted over. "Was that disciple very strong? Or did he have many people with him?"

Lu Feng dared not look up. "Just one person, in the first tier of the Void Refining Realm, but—"

Before he could finish, the girl strode up and slapped him twice. "Useless! One man in the first tier, and five of you couldn't stop him from taking what I wanted?"

Lu Feng immediately dropped to his knees, not daring to reply.

"Let Lu Feng finish before you pass judgment, child," the old man said, having finished skinning the python.

Still indignant, the princess snorted coldly. "I'd like to hear what excuse you can come up with."

Lu Feng did not dare conceal anything. He recounted everything that happened with Mo Bufan, including Mo Bufan's final critique.

After hearing Lu Feng's account, the princess's face grew even darker. "Utter nonsense. Are you all just afraid of the Celestial Profound Sect and making up stories? Clearly, I've been too lenient with you. You disregard my orders!"

As she spoke, a rare severity appeared on her young face, her bearing unmistakably that of someone used to command.

"Princess, he speaks the truth," the old man said. "The Celestial Profound Sect is one of the Four Great Sects of the Eastern Divine Continent, full of hidden talents. Such disciples are not uncommon. I recall there was once a predecessor in their ranks—Ge Qingyang—who could rival true immortals and was said to be invincible among earth immortals."

The princess pouted. "Weren't you once from the Celestial Profound Sect, Master? Go and retrieve the Fire Lynx for me. I've always wanted a cute Fire Lynx as a pet!"

Hearing his disciple's coquettish tone, the old man smiled helplessly. "Very well. It's been a long time since I've seen a fellow disciple. Let us go and meet this first-tier Void Refining Realm disciple."

"Master, you're the best!" the princess exclaimed, leaping with joy.

With Lu Feng leading the way, the group headed in the direction where Mo Bufan had been.

By this time, Mo Bufan had already left with the mother and newborn Fire Lynx, hiding in a different, secret spot.

During the second round of labor, the mother Fire Lynx finally gave birth to a fluffy cub, which she immediately brought to Mo Bufan, gazing at him intently.

Mo Bufan, resigned, could only take the two Fire Lynxes and seek another hiding place.

As Mo Bufan left the cave, the stone wall suddenly began to crack loudly, rocks tumbling down. In moments, the entire layer of stone collapsed, revealing three figures—one man and two women—each bearing twin horns on their heads.

"This human youth is quite interesting..." the beautiful woman in the center said with a faint smile.